BEST IN PLAY: MASSDIGI NAMES 82 APPS OF CAMBRIDGE AS 2013
GAME CHALLENGE GRAND PRIZE WINNER!

03/04/2013

[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Gamasutra and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource GamesPress.]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 2, 2013 (Cambridge, Mass.) – The
Massachusetts Digital Games Institute announces
82 Apps, a Cambridge-based independent game
development studio, has won Grand Prize honors for
PWN, its fast, fun and futuristic game about
competitive hacking in the 2
nd Annual MassDiGI Game Challenge.

“MassDiGI did an amazing job organizing the event and
bringing so many great developers, mentors, and speakers together.
The feedback and experience I got during the Game Challenge was
extremely valuable, and I'd recommend it to anyone who is making a
game and wants it to succeed,” said Erik Asmussen of 82 Apps.
“The Game Challenge was a perfect way to develop and sharpen
a game pitch, which is critical for any kind of outreach
efforts.”

The Game Challenge, a pitch contest, helps indie and student
game development entrepreneurs hone their ideas and products for
launch. Forty-four teams consisting of indie game developers and
student teams from around New England competed in a sold-out event
from March 1-2 at the Microsoft New England Research and
Development Center showcasing the rapidly expanding game industry
cluster in the region. A panel of videogame industry veterans
served as judges for the competition.

“The MassDiGI Game Challenge is unlike any other
competition held in Massachusetts and the wider game industry as a
whole,” said Elliott Mitchell, Game Challenge mentor and
founder of Vermont Digital Arts. “It has been thrilling to
see and meet with all of the teams, many of which have presented
truly groundbreaking ideas showcasing the strength of the game
development community around Boston.”

Other Boston area top indie winners include Zoe Quinn, Patrick
Lindsey and Isaac Schankler for their creative interactive fiction
game
Depression Quest, which took home Best Indie
Serious Game Winner honors.

“Our first Game Challenge in 2012 was a big success, but
2013 has really blown last year’s event out of the water
– in more ways than one,” said Monty Sharma,
MassDiGI’s managing director. “With over 40
passionate, creative teams competing this year and over 30 VIP
mentors and speakers participating, along with a stellar line-up of
game industry judges, the 2013 Game Challenge exceeded our
expectations. The talent we have seen in this competition promises
a bright future for game development in the region!”

In addition, the Overdriver.com Best Online Game Winner and Best
Indie Entertainment Game Runner-up, Pathogen, a turn-based strategy
game by Vermont-based studio
Birnam Wood Games, received $1,500 as well as a
legal services package from Greenberg Traurig and other prizes.

The Overdriver.com Best Online Game Runner-up was a serious game
by Zeebi Lab, a team from Harvard Medical School.

Indie serious and entertainment runners-up and honorable
mentions went to Neocolonialism by Subaltern Games and Captain
Astronaut’s Last Hurrah by Popcannibal, two local
developers.

The Best Student Entertainment Game Winner went to Play Nimbus,
a team from
Becker College, for its well-conceived game
Wobbles. The Best Student Serious Game Winner was earned by
UMass Medical School for Small Victims. Student
runners-up and honorable mentions went to teams from Champlain
College, Becker and WPI.

“It’s an exciting time to be a game
developer,” said Timothy Loew, executive director of
MassDiGI, “And the Game Challenge shines a spotlight on that
excitement.”

By entering, all Game Challenge game concepts are also eligible
for the 2013 MassDiGI Summer Innovation Program, a $20,000 value,
to help develop their game for launch.

Students entering their second year of college looking to break
into the interactive entertainment industry are welcome to apply
for the 2013 MassDiGI Summer Innovation Program. Accepted
applicants will work full-time alongside a team of students under
the guidance of industry mentors over 11 weeks on the campus of
Becker College in Worcester, Mass. Students accepted into the
program will receive free housing over the summer, as well as a
stipend. To apply, visit
www.MassDiGI.org. The deadline for applications
is April 5.

MassDiGI, based at Becker College in Worcester, is
statewide center for academic collaboration, entrepreneurship and
economic development across the local games ecosystem.
MassDiGI’s initiatives support entrepreneurship and enhance
the talent pipeline between higher education and the digital games
industry. For more information about MassDiGI, visit
www.massdigi.org, join us on
Facebook or follow us on
Twitter.